Battling against hope

It’s a trap. Everyone knows it. But, we just can’t help ourselves. Every year. Honestly, it’s all our own fault. Self-inflicted pain. Another year of battling against hope.

It’s football season again. College and Pro fans alike are now sitting there thinking all sorts of hopeful thoughts as their teams head to the gridiron. Most of us know we’re doomed to failure or disappointment. It’s just the numbers.

So, we go out there hoping for the best and grasping at any little ray that shines on us. Oh sure, some of us put on a face. “They’ll find a way to lose” or some such. That’s just battling against hope. What we really feel, buried deep down, is the kindling of optimism. We never learn.

Here are my own two irresistible lures:

Florida Gators

My alma mater. The team it’s great to be one of.

Well, not recently. At least, not on the scoreboard.

Tim Tebow seems so long ago for the Gator faithful. We have a seemingly good season and then get smushed at the end by “real” teams.

Still, new coach, new hope this year. We come out and clobber the first team (patsy) we play. Things are looking up! We’ve got Kentucky next and we haven’t lost to them since the 80’s.

We lost to them. We suck.

But wait! We clobber the next team (patsy) we play. Maybe we can still do this! We can…stop me now. This is where I am battling against hope. I know this isn’t a good team. Sigh. Just can’t help myself, though…

Miami Dolphins

Ugh. How long have we gone since we had a decent team? Skip the freak 10-6 playoff team a couple of years ago and the Patriot-injured Pennington year and…I can’t even remember.

But! We start the year 2-0! We’re alone in first place since who knows when! (Freakish aside fact: the entire state of Florida is undefeated in the NFL so far).

Plus, we beat the despised Jets. No team is more despised by Dolfans than the Jets. None. So, good there!

But! It’s the Dolphins. More importantly, it’s roughly the same Dolphins as before. Oh, we’ve got Tannehill back at QB, but the only reason he makes people excited is because our previous QB’s were the worst. Faint praise.

But! 2-0! “When you say Miami Dolphins, you’re talking Super Bowl” Hmm, I guess they don’t play that song anymore…

2 Responses to “Battling against hope”

In past years, since my early youth, I have been totally plugged into Pro Football and since college, the Gators as well. This year, disgusted by the politization of football as well as concerned by concussion issues, I have not watched a down. I don’t know if it will hold, but I plan to find other things to do all season.